I have read a lot of books in my life, and while I do prefer the third person style of storytelling, I've read a few books where a first person narrative conveys something special. However, what M. Ruocchio has done is to take the first person narrative to a whole new level. Empire of Silence is a story being told to you in a personal and direct way. The storyteller himself can be heard, going over his life, and dropping the occasional foreshadow over the text.

The brilliance of this is that as a scene plays out, you get an insight into what is to come, and glim... [More]

August is coming to a close. I've made some progress on my current work in progress, but not as much as I had hoped. One of the effects of the Covid pandemic is that I work from home, and while that may seem convenient, what happens is that I spend eight hours in the same chair at the same desk, then when it's over, if I am to write, I must stay at that same desk, in that same chair.

Long story short, it's been harder than I had anticipated. And since I seem to be locked into a morning routine (imagine me rolling my eyes at that admission)... nevermind. I am making progress, ev... [More]